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Monroe Shock Absorbers

From humble beginnings with the invention of the ‘Brisk Blast’ tyre pump in 1919, through to the development of the first original equipment passenger vehicle shock absorbers, Monroe has continued to lead the way in ride control component innovation and design.

MONROE HISTORY

Monroe remains unstoppable when it comes to ensuring improved road safety through new ride control technology and there is a Monroe shock absorber product to suit almost every vehicle on our roads.

In the beginning

In 1916, cars still rode on unforgiving and uncomfortable carriage springs. After all, early drivers had bigger things to worry about than the quality of their ride, like keeping their cars rolling over the rocks and ruts that often passed for roads. Flat tyres were frequent and service stations were not. Drivers had no choice but to patch and reinflate their own tyres along the roadside.

For a young entrepreneur named August F. Meyer, this was an opportunity too great to pass up. It seemed logical to Meyer that, with all those flat tyres, there should be quite a market for tyre pumps. Meyer established the Brisk Blast Manufacturing Company in Monroe, Michigan. Under Meyer’s leadership, Brisk Blast soon became a leading producer of tyre pumps.

In 1918 a local Dodge dealer named Charles S. McIntyre became Meyers’s partner and vice president. The company continued to grow and diversify and Brisk Blast became the Monroe Auto Equipment Company.

The Monroe spirit of innovation was already hard at work when the company perfected the first self-oiled, single-barrelled tyre pump. Sales climbed from 5,000 per week to over two million a year.A vision becomes a revolution

By the mid 1920s, Monroe was busy applying the technology of the single-barrelled tyre pump to a purpose no one else had yet envisioned: providing a better ride for drivers.

In 1926, the first Monroe shock eliminator was introduced. Within 25 years, the Monroe-Matic, the first double action shock absorber, was the best known shock absorber in the world, used by most American car makers through the 1950s.

The company went international in 1964 and in 1974, to better serve the expanding world market. Monroe purchased Unamuno, S.A., a leader in the Spanish shock absorber market, and MAP Auto Pecas S.A. in Brazil.

Monroe became renowned as the world leader in both original equipment and aftermarket ride control, making shock absorbers for specialty vehicles from golf carts to high-speed railroad cars.

In 1977, Monroe became part of Tenneco Inc. Tenneco’s many diversified and multinational resources allowed for new opportunities on a global scale.

In 1980, Monroe began manufacturing its first struts and soon, thereafter, Monroe produced its first gas charged shock.

In 1989, the company gained increased visibility in Europe when Monroe acquired the suspension division of Armstrong Equipment PLC of the United Kingdom. The move enhanced Monroe’s presence in the UK and improved customer service throughout Europe.

Groundbreaking products such as Sensa-Trac and Reflex first came to market during the 1990s, cementing Monroe’s position as the global leader in ride control.The first great product breakthrough of the new century in the ride control sector was Monroe’s popular Quick-Strut in 2003.

We can’t say for sure what the future of the automobile holds, but you can be sure Monroe will be there with the innovations that continue to provide motorists across the globe with safety and control.

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT

Global OE Leadership. Today & Tomorrow.

With a network of 14 advanced engineering centres on five continents, Tenneco is at the leading edge of technology for the original equipment market.

Here’s a look at our cutting-edge technology for our ride control products including:

Shock absorbers and struts

Suspension systems/modules

CES – Computerized Electronic Suspension

Kinetic passive stability systems

Coil and leaf springs

Cab shock absorbers

Seat shock absorbers

Heavy duty truck & train shocks

Top mounts

Corner and full axle modules

Featured Innovations

Our award-winning Acceleration Sensitive Damping (ASD) shock absorber delivers both a soft, comfortable ride and firm vehicle handling. The technology is a mechanical valve system that instantaneously changes damping force to adjust vehicle ride to bumps and changes in the road surface.

As a next generation shock absorber, frequency dependent damping is environmentally friendly – it uses no oil. The shock absorber can be mounted in any position and has a more consistent damping performance over a wide range of temperatures.

Our Micro-Amplitude Damping (MAD) technology is a position sensitive hydraulic circuit designed to eliminate the energy transfer caused by tire imbalances. This circuit is engineered to directly react to the displacement of the shock absorber.

Advanced Electronic Technologies

Tenneco’s Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CES) provides next generation capabilities in vehicle handling and ride comfort. CES is a semi-active suspension system that continuously adjusts damping levels according to road and driving conditions. At the heart of CES is an advanced valve system, developed with Ohlins Racing. The valves are integrated with an electronic controller and chassis sensors and work together to deliver the most advanced damping characteristics.

MISSION STATEMENT

Monroe’s mission is to delight our customers as the number one technology driven global manufacturer and marketer of value – differentiated ride control, emission control and elastomer products and systems. We will strengthen our leading position through shared- value culture of employee involvement, where an intense focus on continued improvement delivers shareholder value in everything we do.

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN SAFETY

Technology driven safety are three words that most aptly describe the Monroe commitment to product research and development. Many Monroe shock absorber products incorporate world first and patented technologies.

Whatever the future holds for our automotive mobility, you can rest assured that Monroe will be there with more shock absorber technical innovations to provide you with precise control, ride comfort and enhanced safety.

GT-Gas with exclusive Reflex Technology

The ride characteristics experienced with any suspension set up usually means an inescapable compromise between comfort and handling. In general, good handling requires firm damping from the shock absorber, while maintaining a comfortable ride requires a shock absorber with softer damping characteristics. The design of Monroe GT-Gas with Reflex technology has a refined valving system which maintains excellent vehicle stability and handling whilst delivering a high level of comfort for all vehicle occupants. This has been achieved by the introduction of Twin Disc Technology a valving refinement that is present in both compression and rebound.

On compression at low piston speed, the revolutionary disc valve set design partially opens to provide limited oil flow. The result is a firm and stable manoeuvre when taking corners at low speed, or changing highway lanes.

With increased piston speed due to bumps, potholes, sharp cornering or emergency braking at high vehicle speed; an intermediate disc is activated. This provides an immediate increase in oil flow resulting in increased vehicle stability and safer road handling.

On rebound, the new twin disc design features a unique scalloped intermediate backing plate. This allows the valve disc to flex as the piston speed increases, metering the oil flow as demanded by the driving conditions.

The outcome is a cushioning of harsh road conditions with superior safety and control.

GAS-MAGNUM TDT

Designed to master the entire spectrum of Australian four wheel drive on and off road driving, Monroe Gas Magnum TDT 4WD shock absorbers combine Tenneco’s exclusive Twin Disc Technology with the legendary durability of one of Monroe’s most popular 4WD replacement shock absorbers, the Monroe Gas Magnum.

Whether it is on or off road and if towing heavy loads over long distances, your 4WD’s steering, ride comfort and control are not compromised with this tough Australian made and designed 4WD shock absorber.

Product features

Nitrogen Gas Charged

1-3/8″ (35mm) bore

Multi stage, high displacement valving

Superior chrome rod

Multi lip seal

Non ride height dependent

Three year/60,000 km warranty

Gas-Magnum TDT

On crowded city roads, Monroe’s Gas-Magnum TDT smooths out the constant acceleration and braking and eliminates the sway associated with a high centre of gravity while producing a fast response when needed. Monroe’s Gas Magnum TDT provides your vehicle with superior stability under all driving situations, situations which can change rapidly – putting your safety at risk.

Melbourne to St Petersberg on Monroe TDT’s

Toureg wanted to drive one of their 4WDs from Melbourne, Australia to St Petersberg, Russia. They wanted to do it world record time. So they wanted the shock absorbers that would handle every smooth highway, dirt road and bone-jarring excuse for a track across the 23,000 km journey. They fitted Monroe TDTs. For the record, the TDT’s nailed it.

MONROE OE SPECTRUM SHOCK ABSORBERS

Developed through years of research and on-vehicle testing, Monroe OESpectrum units provide an unprecedented level of handling precision and control while filtering out the ride harshness This unique blend of control and comfort is made possible through Tenneco’s “Twin Technology Active Control System”, an exclusive internal damping control technology first developed for leading global vehicle manufacturers.

Tenneco’s Twin Technology consists of its latest Impact Control Valve (ICV), which delivers exceptional control under virtually all driving conditions, and a patented Low Speed Tunability (LST) piston design that isolates impact-related noise, vibration and harshness.